Veterinarians examine a cat with a portable veterinary ultrasound machine in a clinic.

How Portable Veterinary Ultrasound Machines Have Benefited Veterinary Practices

Veterinarians examine a cat with a portable veterinary ultrasound machine in a clinic.
Pet owners dote on their pets and go to great lengths to ensure their overall well-being and good health, and rightly so. Animals are unable to communicate their discomfort and pain, having to suffer silently for a prolonged period, until a trip to the veterinary clinic results in a diagnosis, or worse, until it’s too late at times. Furthermore, in the absence of the right imaging tool, it becomes difficult to effectively diagnose and treat their ailments, delaying the onset of recovery.

Veterinary ultrasounds come to the rescue by helping practitioners examine animals’ internal body structures and organs to detect the source of their illnesses. Apart from accuracy, ultrasound also provides cost efficiency, compared to other imaging technologies like MRI and CT scans. Furthermore, it’s radiation-free and non-invasive and minimizes complications such as anesthetic risks, making it a much safer imaging modality.

All in all, ultrasound is a safe imaging tool that provides prompt, accurate, and cost-efficient diagnoses facilitating veterinarians to decide on an effective course of treatment in a timely manner, positively impacting the quality of veterinary healthcare globally.

Role of Portable Ultrasound Machines in Veterinary Practice

Cat getting an ultrasound scan

The advent of rapid technological advances over the last decade has led to the development of increasingly compact and portable ultrasound devices. Moreover, technological innovations have not only spurred the availability of portable ultrasound machines but have also ensured that they provide high-quality imaging that was previously only associated with bulkier equipment. In short, the coupling of portability and high-quality imaging has elevated the global standard of overall healthcare.

In veterinary medicine, too, ready accessibility of portable ultrasounds has transformed the role of ultrasound imaging, revolutionizing animal healthcare. They preempt the need for pet owners to take their pets to an imaging facility, saving time and effort by providing an on-site diagnosis with ease and convenience.

In the next section, we examine closely the benefits of portable veterinary ultrasound machines.

Benefits of Portable Ultrasound Machines in Veterinary Practice

  1. Portable ultrasound machines can be used for both in-clinic and in-the-field practice, preventing the need to invest in additional ultrasound equipment. Most importantly, even clinics with space constraints can incorporate portable veterinary ultrasound machines, owing to their compactness and mobility.

  2. Newer models of veterinary portable ultrasound machines offer higher penetration, making it possible to scan even larger animals with accuracy. Therefore, veterinarians can easily expand their niche to other specializations and in turn, improve revenues. They can do so without having to expand the size of their clinics or invest in separate console systems. Other niches include equine, ruminant, farm, zoo, and marine care.

  3. Most of the time, veterinarians are required to examine patients in their clinics and veterinary hospitals and also make field visits to cater to sick animals. Compact portable veterinary ultrasound machines are easy to carry, making it convenient for veterinarians to visit farms and veterinary hospitals in other remote villages and towns to examine animals. They enable them to detect the root cause of their ailments in animals’ natural settings.

  4. Portable veterinary ultrasound machines eliminate the need for owners to transport sick animals to specialized imaging facilities that may be located in distant areas or towns by making a diagnosis available wherever the patient is located. This is a significant benefit given that it is impractical for large-sized farm animals to be transported to specialized imaging facilities that are typically located in far-flung areas of the city or state.

  5. Using ultrasound on animals is not as easy as it is on human patients. It is difficult to direct animals to the testing bay or even make them lie still. Compact and hand-held ultrasounds make it much easier to scan animals in their comfort zone, without having to sedate them.

  6. Many times, small animal veterinary clinics receive cases in which pets have ingested foreign objects like plastic toys or metal parts. It is extremely important to treat such cases on an urgent basis to purge the object. Portable ultrasounds make this possible by helping veterinarians easily and immediately detect the exact location and type of object lodged in the internal organs or pathways. Veterinarians can thus promptly decide on the optimal way to remove it, relieving the animal of pain and discomfort and even saving its life.

  7. Despite their small size, portable ultrasound machines provide high-quality imaging alongside multi-purpose functions, presets, and other adjustable features for optimized workflow, improving both time and cost efficiencies. Additionally, many portable veterinary ultrasound machines are available with rechargeable batteries, providing uninterrupted scanning for prolonged periods, resulting in a quick, easy, and optimized workflow both on and off-site.

Portable Veterinary Ultrasound Machines from National Ultrasound

An increasingly large number of veterinarians have adopted the use of portable ultrasound machines in their practices, owing to the aforementioned benefits. If you haven’t already begun to take advantage of portable veterinary ultrasound machines in your practice, it’s time to do so now.

National Ultrasound carries a wide range of portable ultrasounds from all reputable manufacturers. If you need help in deciding which ultrasound equipment is right for your veterinary practice, speak to one of our experts. They take the time to understand and evaluate your requirements to fit you with the ultrasound machine that is a perfect fit for your clinic and budget. Contact National Ultrasound today to discuss your requirements. We would love to hear from you!